What does a corporation mean?

A corporation is an organization —usually a group of people or a company —authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as "born out of statute"; a legal person in a legal context) and recognized as such in law for certain purposes.

Where did the word 'corporation' come from?

The word "corporation" derives from corpus, the Latin word for body, or a "body of people". By the time of Justinian (reigned 527–565), Roman law recognized a range of corporate entities under the names Universitas, corpus or collegium.

When did corporations start in America?

The first American corporations were developed in the 1790s. Textile corporations helped spark the Industrial Revolution. The period after the Civil War saw the development of the railroad industry. In 2023, technology giants like Apple and Meta were leaders among American corporations.